Please try again later. On May 13, 1972, after 13 seasons of playing Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright, the even-tempered, gentle-giant, second son of Ben Cartwright on NBC’s Bonanza, actor Dan Blocker suddenly and tragically died. His death complicated things because filming was just about to begin on the classic westerns final season.
He’d starred as “Hoss Cartwright” from the beginning, and his death came just after Bonanza’s season 13 finale. Here’s how the series handled it.
The last episode in which Dan Blocker played the role of Hoss Cartwright in the television series “Bonanza” was “One Ace Too Many” (episode 415).
It ran for 14 seasons, but it was sadly the death of one of the show’s biggest stars—Dan Blocker—that led to its cancellation in 1972. This was how Bonanza responded to Blocker’s death and said goodbye to “Hoss Cartwright.”
Why did Hoss die on the show?
The show decided to give Hoss a heroic death with him drowning in an attempt to save a woman. His death didn’t sit well with the mourning fans as the show suffered from low viewership ratings thereafter. This nudged the writers to put an end to the iconic show with season 14 being its last.
He created history by being one of those rare heavy-weight actors who managed to get on top. Unfortunately, the actor died at the age of 43 .
Who died in Bonanza?
However, the series also made TV history in an unfortunate way when actor Dan Blocker died in 1972. He’d starred as “Hoss Cartwright” from the beginning, and his death came just after Bonanza’s season 13 finale. Here’s how the series handled it.
Bonanza chose not to recast “Hoss” after Blocker’s death. Instead, the show implied that the character had also died — a then-unprecedented move for a TV show.
Who played Hoss in Bonanza?
The middle son of ranch owner Ben Cartwright was seen as a gentle giant, and though his size was imposing (he weighed over 300 pounds), both Hoss and the actor who played him, Dan Blocker, had hearts of gold.
I know Michael Landon felt the same way.”. Michael, who became a ‘60s heartthrob thanks to his role as youngest Cartwright son Little Joe, recalled the pain of returning to set without Dan. “The first day we went back to work was just incredible, it was so bad,” he shared.
Cast members said they knew the series wouldn’t survive without the affable actor. “After Dan’s death, I didn’t see how the show could continue,” Lorne Greene, who played family patriarch Ben, admitted to TV Guide shortly after his co-star’s passing. “I said to my wife, ‘That’s it.
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